Six DIY mistakes you can avoid.
I am part of quite a few Facebook forums for decorating and decorators. A few of them are the DIY sort, a few are professional decorators. And while they both groups are trying to achieve the same results, the methods and approaches used by both groups is distinctly different. And it shows in the end result. You CAN avoid DIY mistakes.
These are all comments I’ve read or heard from DIYer’s. Truly.
“The new sofa only fits on that wall. I know it means the TV has to go over the fireplace, but the sofa is long enough for someone to sleep on.” ( ‘Someone’ is the overflow guest who comes once a year, for one weekend.)
“I know a larger area rug would have been better but the smaller one was on a super sale and it’s only a few feet smaller. We thought it would be OK. And we can’t return it.” ( Every time you look at the room you will be reminded of this.)
“My dear Aunt brought those cushion covers back from one of her travels; she comes over a lot and always comments on how lovely they are. They really are not what I would have chosen for this room and I don’t think the colors work with the sofa.” ( Tell her you love the cushions but you are refreshing your room and because she loves them so much, she should have them back so she can enjoy them for awhile.)
“My friend is an amateur ‘decorator’ and she ‘styled’ that reading corner for me. I love the colors.” (This in reference to a reading corner in a fairly dark room. No lamp. No table for coffee or the book. No place, except the floor, for the five cushions in the chair. )
“My husband insisted on that 60-inch TV screen but it’s so big I had to put the couch across the room and now everyone has to walk between the sofa and the TV to get to the kitchen and it’s really annoying when we are watching TV.” (You didn’t do a floorplan, did you?)
‘”The paint didn’t look like that in the paint store. It’s going to cost a lot to have the room re-painted. Who knew there are different colors of white?” (The price of two gallons of paint in the form of a color consult would have prevented that mistake.)
Every one of these mistakes could have been avoided if a professional had been called. OR if the DIY-er had taken a mini decorating course. There is nothing wrong with doing it yourself, as long as you do it right.
(sofa picture from https://doddsfurniture.
